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| Skin Problems in Pets |
| Dogs and cats suffer
from many problems that affect their skin. It is important to understand
that the skin is an organ, just as the liver and kidneys are organs. The
skin functions as a barrier to protect the body from infection, caustic
substances, ultra violet light and dehydration. Good health and proper
function of the skin is dependent on the health and function of the
other organs that make up our pets' bodies. Diseases that affect the skin can be placed into one of two categories, primary and secondary skin disease. Primary skin diseases are those that affect the skin directly, such as mange or flea and tick hypersensitivities. Secondary diseases are those that initially involve other organs, and thereby affect the skin, such as hypothyroidism. The diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases can be difficult and time consuming. The following are some of the common diseases and conditions affecting the skin. A brief description of their diagnosis and treatments is provided. Allergies: Humans with allergies usually react by sneezing, but your pet reacts by scratching. Both you and your pet are reacting to an allergen, which is a substance that causes sensitivity. Most allergens are inhaled, but a few are the contact type, such as an allergy to wool. Some allergens are found in food, most commonly corn, wheat, soy, beef and dairy products. The first signs of allergic reactions are scratching, licking, biting or rubbing the skin. This can lead to infection characterized by red bumps and pimples. Because of the discomfort, it is important to get professional help as soon as possible. Bacterial Infection: A bacterial infection is common, but is
usually secondary to another underlying disease such as an allergy.
Treatment for bacterial infections may include antibiotics— either given
orally or topically. It is important to seek professional help to treat
the bacterial infection while searching for the underlying disease. |
| Ectoparasites
(external parasites): External parasites include mites, fleas and ticks.
These parasites break the barrier formed by the skin and allow bacterial
infections to occur. They also may lead to allergic conditions.
Diagnosis is achieved with gross observation and microscopic examination
of skin scrapings. Treatment depends on the parasites present and
includes ant parasitic drugs and ant parasitic shampoos and rinses. Fungal Infections: These include Malassezia sp.,
Dermatophytosis (Ring Worm) and Dermal Coccidioidomycosis. Diagnosis is
achieved via culture of the organisms, microscopic examination of skin
scrapings, and blood tests that identify antibodies for Coccidioides
immitis. Treatment includes topical and systemic antifungal drugs and
antifungal shampoos and rinses. Food allergies often manifest
themselves as skin problems. Food allergies are usually diagnosed by
ruling out other possible conditions. Treatment is trial feeding of
hypoallergenic diets for a minimum of six weeks. Contact allergies are diagnosed based
on history of contact and clinical presentation. Treatment involves
washing the exposed areas to remove the irritant. Patients experiencing
itching are given steroids for a short period of time. It is important
to prevent re-exposure. There are several autoimmune skin
diseases, and the foundation of diagnosis is surgical biopsy. Treatment
includes combinations of dietary supplementation, steroids and immune
modulation drugs. Secondary skin diseases, such as
hypothyroidism, are diagnosed via clinical testing for the underlying
disease. Diagnosis often requires blood tests, biopsies and X-rays.
Treatment of the underlying condition usually results in improvement of
the skin problems. |